Summary for rust removal soda Discussion
rust removal soda is the real topic here, but James says the project is mainly about learning the scientific method, not proving which soft drink the world should use to clean nails. He tells Adrianna that she may not find much research because the question is trivial, and that’s okay for a science fair project. His advice is to make an educated guess, or hypothesis, and then test it experimentally. James even offers a sample hypothesis: Coke is better at removing rust from nails than Diet Coke, Orange soda, or 7-Up. He suggests that after the experiment, the student can then research why the result happened. The thread also notes that nobody really uses soda to remove rust from nails, so the value of the project is in the process, not the practical application.
Q. I am doing a 7th grade science fair project on which soda removes rust from nails. I chose 4 sodas: Coke, Diet Coke, Orange Soda, and 7 Up. The only problem is that I can’t find very much research on this, so I can’t form a hypothesis. Please help!
Adrianna H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Student – Springfield, Illinois, USA
2005
2005
A. You may not find research on this specific project, Adrianna, because it’s actually a trivial subject. By which I mean, let’s say Fanta Orange is better at removing rust from nails than 7-Up. So what? Who cares enough to publish a book about that?
Your experiment isn’t really about telling an eager world which soda removes rust from nails better — nobody uses soda to remove rust from nails. Your experiment is actually about “learning the scientific method”: what a hypothesis is, what an experiment is, and how and why to proceed.
A hypothesis is just an educated guess that you will try to prove or disprove by experiment. So you tried to do the research and you came up empty; that’s okay! Just flip a mental coin, and guess which one is best. I flipped it and I say Coke is best. So that’s my hypothesis: “Coke is better at removing rust from nails than Diet Coke, Orange soda, or 7-Up.” Form your hypothesis, then conduct your experiment and see whether it supports or disproves your hypothesis. After you have your answer from the experiment, now you can try to research why. Good luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
A. I am also researching a similar topic. Although against what the previous poster said, I have found some research. You can research what chemical reactions form the various acids that remove the rust. I have found that phosphoric acid, an acid nearly as powerful as battery acid
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
, is one of the chemicals that removes rust. Among others are carbonic acid and sodium. There is research on topics similar to this, but when you search use things such as:
Which soda has the most acids
Which soda cleans pennies the best
Why do acids remove rust
James S [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
– Canton Georgia, US
2007
Yes, those sound like good search terms, James. Thanks!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
2007
Q. I am doing the same thing except with pepsi and coke. I can’t find much research either; but when you complete it you should add what all you did to help people like us.
Matt U [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
– Blacksville West Virginia
April 12, 2019